Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Vs LeEco Le 1s Smartphone Comparison

The smartphone market is booming in India, the segment that is getting the most attention is mid-range. In the last couple of months, we have seen it grown quite large from just a couple of handsets to quite a number of options. But when you take the most current state, it always comes down to the two or three handsets. Nowadays, these three handsets – Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, LeEco Le 1s and Honor 5X– are the talk of the town. Consumers have seen asking about it in forums, fan page, twitter handle; even there are Reddit discussions that caters to such audience. But we offer real-world solutions; it would definitely help you in figuring out which smartphone should you purchase. Last week, we did a comparison between Redmi Note 3 and Honor 5X. This week we are putting the Redmi Note 3 with Le 1s in the ring. Let’s find out who is the winner.

Design

Both the handsets sports metal construction with a unibody design, while Redmi Note 3 still manages to weigh slightly less at 164g whereas the Le 1s weighs at 169g. It’s incredible to see a 5.5-inch Le 1s with 7.5mm thickness, which is nearly as thin as iPhone 6s Plus. Whereas with same screen size and lesser weight, Redmi Note 3 has a thickness of 8.65mm. Now enough about the measurements, let’s talk about the looks and feel in the hand. When you hold the Xiaomi handset, you’ll feel the smooth finished back is quite slippery in comparison to the LeEco product. But when it comes to sturdiness, there is no better handset than a Le 1s, it has a solid metal construction while the metal construction on Redmi Note 3 doesn’t feel as solid, and instead it seems that company has used low-grade metal. The Xiaomi device is much wider in broadness and shorter height in comparison to the longer height and shorter width on LeEco handset. Overall, we felt Le 1s offers better design aesthetics and robust body, which dwell well with rough usage. It’s a personal choice.

Display

They have 5.5-inch display size, full HD resolution, the pixel density of around 401 PPI (Pixel Per Inch), then what is that distinguish them apart? Well, it’s quite simple, they both uses different types of protection for the display. Where Le 1s screen is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 3, Redmi Note 3 choose to stick offer an oleophobic coating for protecting from scratches. Corning is indeed known for providing best protection to the display while with just a coating you can’t expect it to be scratchproof at a level what Corning Glass Offers. In terms of the viewing experience, they both offer excellent color reproduction values and angles. But the fact that Redmi Note 3 has a sunlight display makes it quite an impressive display, as it automatically adjusts according to light, which is something not available on Le 1s. It does more than just changing the brightness levels; it alters the pixels in real time. Thus, it wins when it comes to sunlight legibility.

Software

What would you prefer an experienced player or a newbie who has a lot to offer? Well, the odds are that people trust an experienced player and thus, mostly opt for them. That is the case here. Between a well established MIUI ROM with the support for a strong team working to bring you best features or a newbie who has a lot to offer in terms of features, which should be the choice. It all comes down to the user experience they have to offer. We have been spending some quality time with MIUI 7, which is based on the Android Lollipop 5.1.1, and it has been the smooth ride so far with around three major updates. Whereas the EUI 5.5 build on the Android Lollipop 5.0.2, it’s not the latest version of the OS but has a still a lot to offer. We have had a smooth experience with Android skin on the Le 1s as well. Both UIs provided a great experience while I felt there was less gesture functionality on the MIUI than EMUI, which is the point I have raised in my post regarding the missing features on the Redmi Note 3.

Performance

This is one thing that Xiaomi has managed to do it, right, despite the Helio X10 being the original model, the company decided to launch the better one, with Snapdragon 650 processor. And it has gone a really long way in terms of creating a buzz for the device. Because with the latest Qualcomm chipset the device has managed to outdo all the mid-range handsets and even come close to beating some premium smartphones like Samsung Galaxy S6 in terms of Anututu scores. Of course, you’ll think it’s all potential, but in real life usage as well we felt Redmi Note 3 to be the most powerful phone in its range. In fact performing up to the premium standards, in some cases it even came close to beating Snapdragon 810 powered handsets like OnePlus 2. It’s amazing what this Hexa-core arrangement has done on the Redmi Note 3. While on the other hand the Le 1s doesn’t stand a chance with its MediaTek Helio X10, despite offering decent performance. If you are a power user and likes to have such kind of horsepower in your hand, then why would you think twice before opting for the Redmi Note 3! In terms of the RAM and internal storage, the device comes with two options, 2GB RAM, and 16GB storage while the second option has 3GB RAM and 32GB storage. The LeEco product comes only with a 3GB RAM and 32GB storage.

Camera

This would be the first time that a sub-10K smartphone is sporting a 16-megapixel image sensor on the rear. The company hasn’t disclosed it yet, but the Redmi Note 3 might be sporting a Samsung sensor. No matter, which sensor it is, the outputs it yields tells the important story that a camera module should offer great color reproduction values and have an interesting set of modes to play with. Xiaomi recently released an OTA update to our device, which claims to have improved the daylight captures. And indeed after comparing earlier and current results, we think there are noticeable slight improvements, which enhances the outputs. Though, the device still lacks the good video recording capability. Whereas on the other hand the Le 1s comes with a 13-megapixel image sensor, it is a Samsung sensor, which uses ISO CELL and PDAF Technology to offer fast focus. Whereas the Phase Detection Autofocus is also used on the Redmi Note 3 rear camera module. Though I would simply say that Xiaomi handset is the winner of this category, it offers impressive camera app, balanced HDR shots and higher pixel resolution.

Battery

These days we are seeing handsets sporting battery capacity like they are powerbanks, not only that they weigh like one. But Xiaomi has managed to eradicate that by offering a high-density capacity battery. Its 4050mAh battery on the Redmi Note 3 is even lighter than the 3000mAh battery present on the Redmi Note 4G. Isn’t that something? Moreover, it has a fast charging support as well, so that you don’t have to keep it plugged for several hours to get it charged. We have a had a great time using the device and most of the time it has given around 5 hours of screen on time with our heavy usage. On the other hand, the Le 1s has a 3000mAh capacity battery with similar display resolution and a not so efficient Octa-core processor. It still manages to give decent battery life but not in any case that it can outdo what Xiaomi handset offers.

Verdict

What’s the conclusion? Well, it’s rather complicated for users who have too many preferences. But if you’re straight forward and looking a sturdily built handset, while other features should be decent enough, or more than average, then I suggest you go with Le 1s. But if you like the display to be readable in sunlight, camera package to be of utmost quality, and a processor that can handle your multitasking needs, then you don’t have to think it over and over again. Then, buy the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3, it’s a perfect device for you.